India enforced one of the world's largest lockdowns in the last quarter of March 2020 to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary focuses on the mental health implications of the ongoing pandemic as well as the lockdown that lasted for more than two months and is still in place in certain areas. Whereas loneliness, stress, anxiety, and depression have been widespread, vulnerable sections of the population. including daily wage workers, migrant laborers, religious minorities, women and children, and the elderly, have been facing various forms of economic, sociopolitical, and familial stigma, racism, and violence. By and large, the COVID-19 pandemic has widened all forms of societal a 5 disparities in India.

Background: Approximately 10%–20% of women suffer from postpartum depression (PPD), important predictors of which are antenatal stressful life event (SLE) experiences. The association between women's state-level socioeconomic status (SES) and PPD has not been explored. This study aimed to examine whether the association between antenatal SLE and PPD symptoms was moderated by women's state-level SES. Methods: Data from the 2009–2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) were used. State-level women's employment/earnings and social/economic autonomy indices were computed from indicators published by the Institute of Women's Policy Research (IWPR). Multilevel multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Among 91,253 women with valid responses, 11.3% had PPD symptoms, prevalence ranging from 7.1% in Illinois to 17.1% in Arkansas. Women who experienced all four stressor categories, including partner related, traumatic, emotional, and financial, had the highest odds (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.36–5.51) of PPD symptoms. The odds of experiencing PPD symptoms decreased with an increase in the state-level social/economic autonomy index (aOR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.64–0.88). There was significant cross-level interaction between number of stressor categories experienced and state-level index. Conclusions: Screening for antenatal SLEs can help identify women at risk for PPD symptoms. That the odds of having PPD symptoms decreased with increasing state-level social/economic autonomy and women residing in states with lower indices were more vulnerable to the impacts of antenatal stressors, could have policy implications related to improving the SES of women in these states.

Incarceration-induced stress makes pregnant women in correctional facilities a high-risk group for mental health problems, resulting in adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. A systematic review was conducted to examine the prevalence and correlates of mental health issues among pregnant inmates. Databases searched included PubMed, Medline, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, National Criminal Justice Reference System, Social Work Abstracts, Cochrane and Campbell libraries, which were searched for studies published in English from 1950 till July 2013. Eleven studies were included of pregnant women in correctional facilities and addressed at least one mental illness. Quality score was assigned to these eligible articles. Due to heterogeneity, a narrative review was performed. All of the studies were conducted in the United States, with quality scores ranging from 7 to 10 out of 10. Only one of these studies used mixed methods, the rest were quantitative. Tobacco use among pregnant inmates exceeded 50%, with some studies reporting as high as 84%. Alcohol use was common; 36% of the inmates used illicit drugs in one study. Depression and anxiety levels were high-some studies reported depression among 80% of inmates. Findings suggest that mental health among pregnant prisoners is a huge concern that has not been adequately addressed.